A Snowy Secret Santa
by Mo9Ja
Summary: A Christmas one-shot. Mainly about Luke and Lorelai. Humor and Romance. For your enjoyment.


**Sorry for uploading this a month too late. See, this was written for my friend Nora, because I was her Secret Santa, but due to different countries, a package came in late. We actually only opened our presents last Thursday. Even with the Christmas spirit behind us, I hope you will still enjoy this. Please read and review. Thanks.**

* * *

**_A Snowy Secret Santa_**

"I'm here. I brought gifts. Now let's get this over with," he grumbles as I open the front door.

"And Merry Christmas to you too, Luke!" I say in a fake happy voice and he rolls his eyes at me.

"Christmas is not until two weeks, which makes this whole thing completely ridiculous."

"Glad to see you brought that Christmas-y spirit," I continue sarcastically.

"Yeah, yeah. Can't believe I agreed to this in the first place," he continues just as cranky. "Are you gonna let me in, or not?" he asks, but without waiting for my answer, he brushes past me into my house.

"I guess that's a 'yes' then," I say before closing the door behind him, "This is the perfect day for a Secret Santa, Luke. It's the first snow of the year. Good things always happen during the first snowfall of the year. Mark my words." As I turn around, watching him get out of his old green jacket, which is obviously way too cold for this kind of weather, I notice the big, closed basket on the floor. "Oh my God! You do know it's a ten dollar maximum, right?! You didn't have to get all your Christmas shopping done for today!"

"I know that," Luke says as he rolls his eyes at me.

"That is ten dollar?!" I ask surprised, "The basket alone looks to be about that price."

"Lorelai," he sighs in a tone that suggests I should stop talking.

"Wow, I'm impressed," I say as I walk after him into my living room, "I suddenly hope you have me."

"You'll see," Luke grumbles, before he greets the others and takes the only empty seat on the couch, which happened to be mine.

I drop myself to the floor before him, next to Rory, who smiles broadly at Luke as she tells him dramatically, "Finally! I am going first, but I wasn't allowed to start until _you_ got here, and it was literally _killing_!"

"Well, good thing you waited, because…" Luke trails off, as he picks up the basket he had just put on the ground next to the couch, and gives it to her.

"Awh, no! You get the big present," I whine at Rory, "I wanted that!"

"Suck it up," she tells me, and she sticks her tongue out at me while she stands up to take the present from Luke.

I look at her, my mouth agape and a fake hurt expression on my face, as I gasp and place my hand on my heart. "And that from my own daughter," I say sadly, looking down at the floor, before I look up again with a smile, anxious to see what Luke has gotten my daughter.

"Thanks, Luke," she says politely, "And Merry Christmas."

"Hm-hmm," Luke mumbles back, waving his hand dismissively at her.

"You can't even say 'Merry Christmas' to her?" I ask, shocked. Luke is usually a lot softer when it comes to Rory.

"I told you," Luke sighs exasperatedly, "It's two weeks _before_ Christmas. Saying it now is ridiculous, because I will see all of you tomorrow, and the day after that, and the day after that, and so on, which is all still _before_ Christmas. Hell, I might even see you on the actual day. Then, I'll say it."

"That's all?" I ask disappointed.

"What's all?" he asks, his tone telling me he doesn't really want to know.

"Such a short rant. I hoped for a really long one," I say, pouting at him.

"This whole thing is ridiculous," Luke mutters to himself.

Rory slowly opens one side of the picnic basket, just enough to peek inside, and gets a huge grin on her face, before she opens it completely. "Luke, thank you!" she says, cutting me off from replying to Luke's grunting.

"What? What is it?!" I want to know, leaning against Rory to be able to look inside.

"Mo-om! Stop pushing me," she tells me with a laugh, before she takes one of the containers out and opens it, "Mmm, lasagne! Thank you, Luke!"

"You're welcome," Luke says with a smile, "I figured you could use a Yale survival package."

"You're damn right I could," Rory says happily as she peeks back inside. "Are they all lasagne?" she asks, looking up at him again.

"Uh, no. They are all different kinds of casseroles and pastas and stuff, some more healthy than others."

"You didn't make me a health package, did you?" Rory asks doubtfully.

"No," Luke laughs, "I know you better than that. Everything I made, you will like, I think."

The smile returns to her face, "You do know me well! I love it! Is there also diner stuff in here? I always miss your burgers when I'm at Yale."

"I'm afraid not," Luke shakes his head, "You can't really keep them long, so I guess you'll have to come back in the weekends for those."

"I guess I'll have to do that then," she agrees.

"All of this can't possibly be ten dollar," I say, but Luke ignores me.

"But there is something in there that you'll have to finish right now, or it will go bad. I think it's on the other side of the basket," Luke says, leaning forward and pointing.

Rory eagerly opens the other side of her present and notices one of Luke's biggest coffee cups to-go. "Yummy!" she exclaims as she carefully takes a sip.

"Extra strong, just the way you like it," Luke says professionally.

"Extra strong?!" I ask jealous, "Extra strong, and you didn't bring me a cup?!"

"I wasn't your Secret Santa, now was I?" Luke asks me pointedly, causing me to fold my arms before my chest and pout as if I'm a little child who has just been told she can't have a candy bar—which, ironically, is exactly what this feels like for me. Luke looks at Rory, "The basket is all yours, but the containers I would like back, if you don't mind."

Rory nods. "Thank you, Luke," she says again, causing Luke to blush slightly, "I really love it, and I'm definitely going to enjoy it."

"Actually," Luke says, just as Rory wants to close the basket, "There should be a wrapped present in there somewhere."

"More?!" I ask incredulous, as if food for six weeks wasn't enough. Six weeks might have been _slightly_ exaggerated, definitely with the way Rory and I eat.

"Would you shut up and wait your turn?" Luke asks me rhetorically and I fold my arms over my chest once more.

"I don't like you," I hiss at him.

"Too bad. You _insisted_ I'd join," Luke grumbles back.

"Found it!" Rory exclaims, holding a small squared package in the air, before weighing it slightly and holding it near her ear as she shakes it.

"Open it, open it!" Sookie exclaims excitedly as Lane peeks curiously inside the basket, sniffing up the smells of fresh food.

Rory rips off the paper and holds a small, red, posh looking, jewellery box. She carefully opens it, and then her breath hitches. "Oh, my God," she whispers, before looking up at him, "Lu-uke," she says in awe, "This is way too much."

I grab Rory's wrist and turn it so I can see inside the box. I am looking at the most beautiful golden S-shaped pendant with a small blue diamond in the middle, and some smaller white diamonds draped from the blue one towards the lower end of the S-form, hanging from a golden chain. There are some carvings in the pendant, giving the whole thing a more fragile, and therefore, a more feminine look. I feel my breath hitch too, before I look up at Luke and try to joke, "Now, there is _no way_ that was only ten dollars."

Luke ignores me, and explains to Rory, "It was my mother's. Liz can't wear it, 'cause her neck's too fat, but your neck looks…" he bends over me to be able to stare at Rory's neck, "You know, not fat," he continues awkwardly. "I found it the other day, a few weeks after your birthday. It was just sitting around in my drawer, and I thought, 'Hey, give it to Rory', but your birthday was just over, so I was gonna give it to you at Christmas anyway. This way I could actually get to _see_ you open it, so…"

"Thank you," Rory says sincerely, standing up from the ground and walking over to Luke. She bends down to give him a hug, and Luke hugs her back awkwardly. I can't help but smile as I watch how much my best friend cares about my daughter, even if I would have liked the necklace myself.

"You're welcome," Luke smiles, blushing slightly.

As Rory walks back to her place on the ground, putting the jewellery box carefully back into her basket, I keep my eyes fixated on Luke. When he looks at me, I smile at him and gently rub his knee in thanks. He nods at me, before I turn around again and exclaim, "We so should have ended with that present, but that doesn't matter! Who's next?!"

"Oh! Oh!" Rory appears from her basket. "My teeny tiny present, which now looks even smaller compared to his one than it already did," she jokes pointing at the basket," but it is fooor… Lane!"

"Woo!" Lane claps her hands eagerly and takes the package from her.

"Because it's your first Christmas of Independence," Rory explains to her friend, "I got you something I think you'll like, but your mother definitely won't."

"That's my girl," I say proudly, as Lane opens the small package, a big grin on her face.

"An ankle bracelet," Lane says laughing loudly, almost rolling on her back from laughter even, and she holds the piece of jewellery up for everyone to see, "She will definitely hate it, so I _love _it!"

"Only for the bad girls," Rory chimes in, laughing as well, and Lane nods.

"I don't get it," Luke says confused.

"Yeah, me neither," Jackson says, scratching his head, "Why is an ankle chain only for the bad girls?"

"Oh, boys," Sookie giggles.

"It's a sin according to the bible," Rory explains to my surprise. How does she know?

Lane nods again. "Besides, a woman wearing an ankle bracelet symbolically means she's a prostitute," Lane says as she places the bracelet around her ankle.

"It means what?!" I ask incredulously.

Lane looks up at me in surprise. "Well, yeah… That's where its meaning in today's society comes from," she tells me.

"What meaning is that exactly?" I ask, not sure if I want to know.

"You know," Lane tries, but I shake my head and she sighs. "Wearing an ankle bracelet means that you're available, _and_ open to sex."

Luke, who has just taken a sip of his beer that I had already placed on the table for him before he arrived, chokes and starts coughing. He is just able to keep all the beer inside and swallow it.

"Is that true?" Jackson asks, now looking disgustedly at the bracelet around Lane's ankle.

"Hey," Sookie snaps her fingers at her husband, as she notices him staring, "_You_ are not available," causing the youngest girls to giggle even harder.

"So…" I say slowly. "Is this a bad moment to show you this?" I ask as I roll up the pants of my left leg a little and place my foot on the table before me, showing a silver ankle bracelet. Rory and Lane double over from laughter, and Sookie gives me the thumbs up.

"Would you put that away," Luke grumbles at me, and he softly hits my shoulder.

"Whaaat?" I ask innocently, grinning mischievously at him, "I happen to be available, _and_—girls, cover your ears," I tell Rory and Lane before looking back at Luke. "I love sex," I finish in a loud whisper.

"Ah geez!" Luke exclaims, throwing his head backwards and covering his eyes with one arm, while taking a gulp from his beer with the other. I laugh along with the others, before rolling my jeans back down and placing my foot back on the ground.

"Thank you, Rory. I love it. Makes me feel rebellious," Lane says, giving Rory a hug.

"You're welcome," Rory says with a smile.

"Alright, my present is fooor…" she says just as dramatically as Rory, "Jackson!" she picks up a limp looking package.

"Thank you, Lane," Jackson says politely, taking it from her. He rips the paper open and in his lap lays a neatly folded dark-red t-shirt. He opens it carefully and holds it up by its shoulders to read the black imprint on the front. He reads out loud,

"World's Best Farmer

World's Best Father"

Rory, Lane and I are the only ones able to see the backside, and Rory and I burst out laughing.

"What? What is it?" Jackson wants to know.

Sookie leans forward on the couch, reads the backside and starts laughing as well. "You gotta turn it around, Hon," she tells her husband with a smirk.

Jackson turns the shirt around and holds it up in front of his face again. Once again he reads the imprint out loud,

_"World's Best Gossiper_

_Do not trust me"_

Jackson drops his hands to his lap, crinkling the shirt as he does, and he looks disappointed at Lane, while shaking is head. "I'm not _that_ bad!" he argues.

"You are, Hon," Sookie says, patting his thigh sympathetically.

"You are," Luke grumbles at the same time.

Lane, who's still sitting at the floor, moves to her knees and pats Jackson on his arm. "And I mean every word," she tells him in all seriousness, giving Rory and me another laughing fit.

"Thank you, Lane," Jackson says sarcastically, folding the shirt. As he bends down to drop the shirt next to him on the ground, he is unable to keep his laughter. "Alright, my turn to tease someone," he says laughingly. I notice Sookie looking at Luke and rubbing her hands together expectantly. "Sookie," Jackson says matter-of-factly, handing her a package.

"What?" Sookie asks surprised, looking at the package Jackson is holding out to her. "But you said you had Luke!" she exclaims indignantly.

"I lied," Jackson says, shrugging his shoulders.

Sookie looks at him, mouth agape. "Good thing that shirt doesn't say 'World's Best Husband'," she says taking the present from him and opening it. She unfolds the white material, and I notice it's an apron. Suddenly, Sookie bursts out laughing.

"What? What does it say?" I ask eagerly.

Sookie turns the apron around for all of us to read.

_Careful, or you'll_

_end up in my KITCHEN_

I quickly swallow a sip of my wine and burst out laughing. "Jackson, that's _genius_," I compliment him, taking the apron from Sookie's hands and putting it around her neck. "Perfect," I exclaim happily.

"Thanks, Sweets," Sookie says and she gives Jackson a peck on his lips, "I'll use it at work, until it catches fire, or something."

"Good," Jackson says nodding, and smiling at her.

"And because of this, you're going to end up in my kitchen tonight," Sookie continues in a low voice, raising her eyebrows suggestively at him, causing Jackson to grin stupidly.

"Um, guys," I say doubtfully, ignoring Luke's 'Geez!', "There are two under aged girls here."

"Says the Queen of Dirtiness," Sookie snorts, rolling her eyes at me, and I place my hand over my heart, supposedly offended. "Besides, this was nothing yet. It's _your_ turn now," Sookie says smirking, before propping herself on her knees on the couch and turning around, hanging over the back of the couch, her behind in the air, for all of us to see.

Luke quickly turns his head away, and suddenly finds the walls of my living room very interesting. I laugh and lean over at Luke conspiratorially. "You know, Luke," I say in my loudest whisper voice. When he looks up at me, I continue, "You can hide in the kitchen if you want. Apparently this is going to be _bad_, meaning D-I-R-T-Y," I spell it out for him as if I'm cursing, before I continue, "And you look Fifty Shades of Red, because Mrs Crazy Cook over here decided to give everyone a nice look at her ass." On that note, Sookie turns around again, holding three packages triumphantly.

"I'm a big boy, Lorelai. I can handle it," he says, shaking his head and leaning back against the couch now that the coast is clear again.

"Alright, this one first." Sookie hands me a big box, wrapped in red Santa Clause paper, which I quickly rip off. I notice the cookie jar Sookie has often offered me with many, _many_ yummy cookies in there. Full of hope, I open the lid. As expected, the container is stuffed with Christmas cookies, the tops decorated by frosting shaped as Christmas trees, Santa Clauses, Reindeers, Christmas hats, or Snowmen. I eagerly take one out, and behead a Santa Clause. As the sweet, sugary taste penetrates my senses, I am not able to supress a deep moan.

"Sookie, you did it! You've created heaven in a box! You can die in peace now!" I exclaim, taking another bite.

Sookie grins happily, compliments on her cooking always very appreciated. "That's just _foreplay_, though," she says, putting emphasis on the word 'foreplay'.

"Is it too late to hide in the kitchen after all?" Luke wonders aloud.

Sookie ignores him and gives me a flat, squared package. Again, I eagerly rip off the wrapping paper. "Omigod, Sookie!" I exclaim, bending double from laughter as I read the title of the book she's gotten me, 'How to attract a guy', while enjoying a second divine Christmas cookie, which this time means the death of a snowman.

"Whaaat?" she asks me innocently as I hold up the book for the others to read at their request, "You're the one with the gorgeous body, and the ankle chain and all, yet I'm the one with a husband here. Apparently you're doing something wrong. I'm just trying to help you out."

"Well, thank you," I laugh, "But attracting a guy is not really the problem, y'know."

Sookie's smile widens even more, and she gets an evil glance in her eyes. "I know," she says, raising her eyebrows suggestively, "And therefooore…" She hands me her last present. It has the same form as the book I'm holding and I start laughing even louder.

"No way!" I scream as I take the present from her and rip the Santa Clause wrapping paper off of it, beheading several Santa's as I do. 'How to keep a guy', the title reads, and I laugh even harder, before I hide my face behind the book. When I show my face again, I look Sookie right in the eyes and try to keep my laughter. "If these cookies weren't the most delicious thing I've ever tasted," I take a bite of the cookie I'm holding, continuing to talk with my mouth full, "I'd kill you right now."

Sookie smirks, "I knew food would be my saviour someday."

From the corner of my eyes, I see Rory take a cookie from my box and take a bite. "What do you think you're doing?!" I ask her with wide eyes.

Rory stops chewing and looks back at me. "I wanted to try the most delicious thing you've ever tasted," she says innocently, her mouth full.

"But, these are my pity 'You're 36 and you still don't have a boyfriend' cookies! You can't just eat them! I'm not eating your lasagne, am I? Put it back," I instruct.

Rory swallows the food remnants in her mouth. "But I already took a bite from this one," she tries.

I sigh, "Fine, you can eat that one, but from now on: do not touch my cookies!"

"See, you should really read those books, Lorelai," Jackson tells me and before I have the time to ask him why, he continues, "Guys really don't like it when women tell them not to touch their cookies."

Everyone bursts out laughing, even Luke can't hide a smirk, and I have trouble keeping a straight face. I throw a marshmallow at him, which he skilfully avoids. "Oh, my, God," I say slowly.

"It's true!" Jackson exclaims, "It's true, isn't it, Luke?"

I look at Luke, hopeful that he will take my side to save the little dignity I have left. "I'm afraid it's true," he tells me with a laugh.

"Not you too!" I shout above the noise of the laughter, "You know what? From now on, I'm with Luke on this thing: this was the worst idea ever!"

Luke pats my shoulder sympathetically and I look up at him again. "I really appreciate that," he tells me, "But right now, I'm very much enjoying it."

I hit his shin playfully, before I grab the box with cookies in both hands and lean my back against the couch, slumped together. "On to the next person," I say as I take out another cookie. "I'll just sit here and sulk, all by myself," I pout and take a bite. I look at the ceiling, as I taste the heavenly sugary mass on my tongue.

"Unfortunately, the last present is your thing for me, so the sulking will have to wait," Luke tells me and I immediately sit on my knees, facing him, a devilish smile on my face.

"Finally!" I exclaim dramatically as I reach blindly for my present. .

"This is gonna be bad," Luke mumbles.

"Hey! Don't think the worst of me," I say, slapping him again, this time on his thigh.

"Would you stop hitting me," Luke grumbles.

"Lorelai, you're supposed to be hitting _on_ guys, not hitting them," Sookie tells me as if I am the dumbest child known to men, causing everyone to burst into laughing again.

"Sookie," I say seriously as if I'm a strict primary school teacher with smart glasses and a high knot, "This is _my _time to torture someone. Now please, shut your mouth."

"Ah geez!" Luke exclaims, and he drops his head back on the couch. As he looks back at me, he asks, "Why of all people did you have to get me?!"

"It's faith, dear," I tell him in all seriousness. When he just shakes his head, I continue as if speaking to a child, "Don't worry, Lukey. What I'm about to give you, the ladies will lo-ooove."

"Is it too late to flee," Luke asks, looking around him, causing people to laugh.

"Oh, come on, Lukey. It's not _that_ bad," I tell him with a grin as I hand him the first present.

"Stop calling me 'Lukey'," he grumbles, and he unwraps the present, showing a Christmas hat. "This is what the ladies like?" he asks incredulous as he holds the hat by its plume with only two fingers, as if he is holding something disgusting.

"It iiis…" I say, waiting a beat so the tension can build, "With this!" I hand him his second present and open the third one myself, showing a complete Santa costume. "You've gotta learn how to say 'Merry Christmas' though," I add in my serious voice.

"You've got to be kidding me," Luke says, shaking his head at me, as he stares from the Santa-jacket in his lap to the pants I'm holding.

"Whaaat?" I say as if I don't understand why he's downgrading my present, "You can play Bad Santa with it." I hold my hand before my mouth, and whisper, in the hope that Rory and Lane can't hear me, "Always wanted to try it myself."

"Geez!" Luke says loudly, blushing even more as I tell him of my fantasy and I burst out laughing. "You know that I will never wear this, right?" he asks me.

"Nope. One day I will get you to wear it. Mark my words," I say dismissively, before I turn around again and lean my back against his legs, knowing that he's probably rolling his eyes at me, and trying to find a place in the back of his closet to keep his ridiculous present.

* * *

"You really have to go?" I ask sadly, a pout on my face. I am propped up on the couch; my feet pulled under me, as I lean my arms on the back of the couch to be able to look at him.

"Some of us have to get up early," Luke explains, shrugging his shoulders.

"Alright," I sigh, really not wanting him to be a party-pooper, "I'll see you out then."

As I get up from the couch and turn to face him, Luke holds out his hand to stop me. "You don't have to, I know the way."

I roll my eyes at him in pure Luke fashion. "Luke, _you_ are _my_ guest, so _I_ will see _you_ out," I say as if I'm talking to a child, pointing at the respective person as I speak, causing Rory to giggle.

"Fine," Luke grumbles, and he waits for me to climb over the mix of discarded wrapping paper, presents, food and people on the floor. When I finally find myself next to him, we walk towards the exit together. Just as we walk under the archway from the living room to the small hall where we keep our coats, are we jolted to a halt. We quickly turn around in surprise.

"Oh my God!" Sookie exclaims loudly, her hands covering her mouth and her eyes wide.

"What? What? What?" several of us ask her. She doesn't answer immediately. She just stares at us. "Sookie, what is it?" I ask with a smirk.

She points at Luke and me with a devilish grin on her face. "You're under the mistletoe together," she says happily and expectantly.

I look above me and see the mistletoe I hung there myself as a joke. From the corner of my eyes I see Luke do the same. After we've both confirmed the mistletoe is indeed there, we look at each other.

"Come on, Luke, kiss her already!" Sookie says with the broadest smile on her face.

I share a quick look at them, four pair of eyes fixed expectantly on Luke and me, before I look back at Luke. He stares me right in the eyes and I smirk, knowing Luke Danes too damn well. He won't ever participate in a 'stupid' tradition such as 'kiss under the mistletoe'.

"Kiss her, kiss her, kiss her," Sookie starts and Jackson, Lane and I believe even Rory chime in.

I am about to ignore my other guests, just laugh at them and wave it off. I'm about to take Luke by the arm, take his discomfort away, and show him to the door. I _am_ about to, but as I still stare enchanted in his beautiful dark blue orbs, I see a change in them. I'm not sure I'm seeing it correctly, but it looks like he just decided. But he can't actually… He is Luke Danes. There is no way in hell…

Before I have time to question it any more, he takes a small step closer to me and places his hands gently on my face, and my eyes widen slightly. He bends down and he kisses me; softly at first, with a little bit of doubt, but then he presses his lips firmer on mine. I close my eyes involuntarily and I surrender myself to him. I feel myself getting lightheaded, and my knees become wobbly. I move my hands from my sides to his chest to steady myself, causing me to lean in closer, and I feel the muscles under his flannel. I feel Luke's soft caress of his thumb on my cheek, while the other one moves to put a loose string of hair behind my ear. Just as I angle my head a bit more; ready to take this kiss deeper, ready to give into the passion that's flowing through my body; he pulls back, and takes a small step back again.

I look at him, at his lips that are now formed into a smile; my mouth slightly ajar, my eyes wide again and my cheeks flushed. I can still feel the butterflies in my stomach from before. I am ready to lean in again and capture his lips once more, when the chatting and bawling from the rest of the party penetrates my ears, and I come back to reality. I look at them in surprise. Jackson, Sookie and Lane are laughing loudly, making kissing sounds, but my eyes are drawn to Rory's. She's looking intently at me, and even though I try to act cool and laugh along with the others, I'm pretty sure she can read my face, and all the emotions that lay there just at the surface.

"Good man, Luke!" Jackson shouts at him.

I see Luke rolling his eyes at him. "Yeah, yeah. Good night," he grumbles, not able to hide his grin. He holds up his hand in his special Luke wave and walks towards the front door. I quickly follow him. He opens the door and steps onto the porch, before he faces me.

"Well, that was…" he trails off, searching for the correct word.

"Mistletoe," I nod.

"Yeah," he says slowly. "I'm sorry if that, you know…" he continues awkwardly, adjusting his cap nervously.

I step over the threshold too, stepping into the cold of our white surroundings, and I close the door behind me. "Can I just?" I ask, before I move close to him, and stand on my toes so my mouth can reach his. I hold my hands stupidly next to my body, until he wraps his arms tightly around my back. I do the same with my own, and feel the muscles in his back flex under my touch. This time I do angle my head and I open my mouth for him. Luke easily finds my tongue with his and we let them dance together. I cling to his back, afraid that, if I let go, I'll sink to the cold ground in a big heap of limps. I feel the tightness in my chest again, the butterflies fluttering through my stomach, and not to miss, the wetness in my panties. Eventually I pull back to catch my breath. I take a step back, but keep my hands on his shoulders, looking down at my own shoes as I try to get my breathing under control. Luke trails his hand over my hair near my ear a few times. When I look up at him, he smiles at me lovingly.

"I gotta get…" I say hoarsely, and I point back towards the door.

"Yeah, I know," Luke says, and he pecks my cheek, "Night."

"Night," I whisper, and he turns around and walks carefully down the stairs from my porch. I follow him with my eyes, still flushed. "Luke!" I call, running towards the edge of the porch, just above the stairs, just where the snow reaches; and he turns around, "Shouldn't we, uh, talk, or something."

"Tomorrow," Luke calls back, and I'm surprised by how calm and certain he sounds, "For now," he takes a short pause, a deep breath and he smiles broadly at me, "Merry Christmas."

I look at the sky above, the snowflakes coming down on me, and I take a deep breath, smelling the scent of fresh snow, the intoxicating scent of the first snow of the year. _Good things always happen during the first snowfall of the year_. For a moment, I completely forget about the cold. I only feel the heat Luke left behind in my body. I smile and hold my hands out, catching flakes with them, as I say out loud to the sky, "Thank you, snow."

* * *

**_I hope you all had a snowy Christmas and late Happy New Year to all of you!_**


End file.
